Zuma Given 48 Hours by Own Party to Resign as South Africa President

RULING African National Congress – ANC, Monday gave Jacob Zuma 48 hours to resign as President after an eight-hour meeting of the party’s top leadership.

Party leader Cyril Ramaphosa’s motorcade left a marathon ANC National Executive Committee – NEC, meeting at 10:30 p.m. for Zuma’s residence near the Union Buildings in Pretoria to deliver the message in person.

His motorcade returned an hour later to the venue of the ANC meeting debating Zuma’s fate.

Since Ramaphosa was elected party leader in December, Zuma has faced mounting calls from his party to end his scandal-plagued second term a year early.

Ramaphosa, 65, says he has held direct talks with Zuma over a transfer of power, and said on Sunday the meeting of the party’s executive committee would be aiming on Monday to “finalize” the situation.

The party executive has the authority to order Zuma to step down as head of state, although there is domestic media speculation that he might yet refuse.

Zuma survived calls last year from within the NEC for him to quit. But analysts say there is greater support for him to step down now.

His tenure as president officially runs until mid-2019 and he has not said publicly whether he will step down voluntarily.